Album Review: Boy Harsher - 'The Runner'
Every horror-movie damsel should run from their killer to darkwave synthpop… because they’ll never look cooler.
Boy Harsher have always made music that evokes such a strong sense of atmosphere and dark, grimy visuals. They’re expert blend of distorted, reverberated drums, eerie synths, thundering bass, and crooning vocals concoct images of dingy clubs or ominous alleyways in the dead of night. However, this time the visuals are provided for us, as this album provides the soundtrack for horror movie short, The Runner. Boy Harsher also adopted a directorial role for the film and it shows, as their understanding of creating mood and tension has never been more apparent.
Overall, the album provides an intelligent balance of longer, more lyrical content to short but potent moments of raw instrumentation. The innovative take on ’80s-gothic aesethic that Boy Harsher are famous for perfectly compliments the medium of horror, as it generates the nostalgic feeling of a cult classic and mixes it with the thrill of something new and unknown. The contrast of uncannily upbeat songs and ethereal tracks of both beauty and tension make this a vibrant and unpredictable listen. ‘Give Me a Reason’ and ‘Machina’ are excellent songs in their own right and capture the rhythm of running but with that paranoia of something running after you, whereas ‘The Ride Home’ and ‘I Understand’ force us to slow down and enjoy the moments of unease, with the latter of the two ending on an unresolved chord, fading into nothing… Then, the opening track picks it up where it left of.
Thus, The Runner is literally designed to be listened to over and over again, and I’d recommend doing just that.
Words by Natasha McMeekin
